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Abstract: Structural development of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) fibers was analyzed in real time through in-situ WAXD/SAXS and fiber temperature measurements during CO2 laser-heated drawing because the CO2 laser irradiation can nearly fix the necking position on the running fiber. The in-situ WAXD/SAXS measurements were carried out with a high time-resolution of 0.4 ms. The as-spun iPP fibers of two different initial structures were laser-heat-drawn to a draw ratio of 6.5. For the drawing of PP fiber containing mesophase structure, diffraction from the oriented mesophase remained until an elapsed time of 1.0 ms, when oriented α-phase crystal started to form. Meanwhile, for the drawing of PP fiber containing both an α-phase and a mesophase structure, fragmented microcrystals were reorganized by orientation-induced crystallization before an elapsed time of 1.0 ms. The long period increased drastically with fragmentation, and decreased with reorganization. The long period was about 16 nm for both drawn fibers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Because rapid and uniform laser heating can fix the neck-drawing point in continuous drawing of PTT fiber, we have successfully analyzed the fiber structure development in the continuous drawing process by in-situ measurement with a time resolution of less than 1ms. In this study, we investigated fiber structure development for PTT around the neck point controlled with a CO2 laser-heated apparatus during continuous drawing, through on-line measurements of WAXD, SAXS, and fiber temperature. Fiber temperature attained by laser radiation initiated a rise around −3mm in relation to the neck point at 0mm, and increased to about 90°C, which is past the 45°C T g for PTT. The instantaneous increase in fiber temperature continued with a vertical ascent, with plastic deformation around the neck point. The crystalline diffraction pattern was revealed initially at the elapsed time of 0.415ms immediately after necking, and remained fairly constant with elapsed time. The ultimate crystalline diffraction pattern for a completely drawn fiber showed little difference from that at the initial stage. In PET a two-dimensionally ordered structure in the form of a mesophase was detected immediately after the necking, whereas in PTT the phenomenon was not observed. With elapsed time, the d spacing of (002) plane decreased gradually due to transformation of the initial all-trans conformation into trans-gauche-gauche-trans conformation, and ultimately the PTT molecular chain could favorably adopt the trans-gauche-gauche-trans conformation. SAXS pattern immediately after the necking revealed an X-shape; the scattering intensity concentrated on meridian directions due to individual crystal development, and at 2ms two-pointed scattering started to appear. Past 8ms, the typical two-pointed scattering pattern was prominent and its intensity increased with elapsed time. Long period decreased with increasing elapsed time, but the crystallite size of meridian (002) plane hardly changed. The decrease in long period might be caused by chain relaxation in the amorphous region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]